The present inventive concepts relate to a semiconductor memory device and, more particularly, to a magnetic memory device having enhanced electrical characteristics and reliability.
There is an increased demand for memory devices having greater density and lower power consumption, and non-volatility (nonvolatile memory devices), with the development of portable computing devices and wireless communication device. Magnetic memory devices have become one of the main candidates that can satisfy such demands. As a result, research into magnetic memory devices is ongoing.
In some cases, a tunnel magneto-resistance (TMR) effect occurring in a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) may be used as a data storing mechanism in the magnetic memory device. MTJs having the TMR of several hundred percent to several thousand percent have been developed in 2000's, such that various researches have recently been increasingly conducted for the magnetic memory devices having the MTJ.